The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has fined Tabcorp Wagering (VIC) Pty Ltd AU$1 million ($639,231 million/€597,274 million) for non-compliance with commission directions.
The fine relates to directions issued to Tabcorp during an investigation into the company’s system outage during the 2020 Spring Racing Carnival. As a result of the outage, Tabcorp’s betting system was unavailable for use for around 36 hours.
Tabcorp’s system outage took began on the 7th of November 2020. As part of its licensing conditions, the gambling operator is required to have its wagering system available at all times. An investigation was then instigated by the VGCCC’s predecessor – the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation.
Tabcorp failed to voluntarily provide the correct information as part of the investigation. Despite repeated efforts by the VGCCC to obtain the information, Tabcorp only complied with the direction four months after the investigation deadline.
According to the VGCCC, the regulator opted to fine Tabcorp a record amount due to the company’s conduct throughout the investigation.
Commission Chair Fran Thorn said of the fine:
“We will not tolerate licensees that are not forthcoming and cooperative when the Commission investigates. The Commission had to use its compulsory powers and issue directions because Tabcorp did not provide the information we required about the business continuity and disaster recovery capability of its systems. It is Tabcorp’s failure to comply with these directions that has led to the fine announced today.
“All entities we regulate — no matter how big or small — have an obligation to be open and honest with the Commission and responsive to its lawfully issued directions. We will not tolerate attempts to frustrate our investigations.”
The VGCCC could have fined Tabcorp considerably more as the maximum penalty for contravening Commission directions is AU$9,087,000 ($5,808,698 million/€5,427,436 million).
Ciaran has been working within the Gambling Industry as a deep analyst since 2019. His deep knowledge and understanding of all the gambling regulations, and processes makes him a true asset, and an always valuable point of view for Gambling Industry News, allowing us to cover every topics from a brand new perspective.